Morplan transformed using ArtiCAD software

Based in Harlow, Essex and with four retail outlets, Morplan is the ‘retailers’ retailer’  – selling a wide range of fixtures, fittings, carrier bags, ticketing, etc. to retailers across the country.

The online design solution, ArtiCAD RoomPlanner, went live on the Morplan web site under the banner ‘Morplan StorePlanner’, “transforming our shopping business and delivering a fundamental and hugely beneficial change to independent retailers and to Morplan,” according to Managing Director, Mark Chatterton.  He and his team had seen that customers were often struggling to visualise how their shop would look once the new fixtures and fittings had been installed, but ArtiCADRoom Planner has solved that problem completely.

ArtiCAD RoomPlanner enables visitors to a web site to enter the dimensions of their room, or in the case of Morplan, their shop, and then select fixtures, fittings and other items from an enormous custom-designed library of items.   Pricing is automatically provided as each item is selected.  Once the customer is happy with their 2D layout, they simply click on a button to submit to Morplan’s design team, who use the ArtiCAD-Pro design software to produce 3D visualisations of the design and a link to 360 degree panoramic views, delivered by ArtiCAD Pan360º, which they can view on their computer or a tablet.  Once the customer receives these designs – usually within half a day of their initial submission – they can request changes or simply decide to go ahead – ordering on the phone with the relevant key account manager, online or by visiting one of the shops.

Prior to the installation of ArtiCAD RoomPlanner, Morplan operated a completely different approach.  “We already had a 3D drawing system which, in reality, was rarely used because it was so complex.   It could quite easily take three visits by an account manager to a retailer to even sort out an initial design.  Using ArtiCAD RoomPlanner all this work is undertaken by the customer at times to suit them, independently of us, whilst they ‘play around’ with different options to their heart’s content.  We only become involved once they have reached a decision.

“The adoption of ArtiCAD RoomPlanner is saving us an unbelievable amount of time, as well as enabling us to offer independent retailers for the very first time, who may have just one shop, a really close, personal service.  Previously, this was just not financially viable.  It is revolutionising the way we work with independent retailers.”

Mark Chatterton has set up a centre of excellence for ArtiCAD RoomPlanner in the Harlow headquarters, which is responsible for producing the 3D visualisations for customers and helping them with any queries.  Staff in the shops are also being trained.

He is delighted with the “stunning quality” of the images of the company’s products in the library, which enable customers – for the first time – to really see a lifelike version of their proposed shop layout.